Steak Tartare (by G)

I've had this Anthony Bourdain steak tartare recipe in my recipes folder for almost 3 years - Biggs does not seem too keen on the idea so I've never made it.  As Biggs is still out of town I thought that now was my chance.

I figure that when you decide to eat raw beef it is no time to fuck around with the quality - I bought the best porterhouse I could find (the recipe called for sirloin but they don't seem to sell that particular cut anymore - I'm not even sure what the difference is).

The beef is flavoured with pepper, Dijon mustard, anchovy, ketchup, oil, Worcestershire sauce, tabasco, cognac, egg yolk, onion, capers, parsley and cornichons.  I made some bread croutons and de-packeted some pork rinds to serve it with (I stole the pork rind idea from Top Chef Canada). I know it makes me seem like a bit of a bourgeois asshole but I didn't have any chicken eggs at home, only quail eggs - the yolks are much harder to separate form the whites with those little bastards.

There was nothing challenging about the flavour or texture of this dish - how can you go wrong with capers and cornichons?  I'd recommend it to anyone looking to reduce their cooking related gas or electricity expenses.

To get the meat well chopped I busted out the frighteningly sharp Sugimoto I bought at the Tsukiji fish market more than a year ago but have been afraid to use.  I managed not to cut myself - my fingernails got a bit of a trim in places though.